FX-550 Skygrasper
The FX-550 Skygrasper is an atmospheric support fighter designed for use in conjunction with the GAT-X105 Strike. It is armed with a turret-mounted beam cannon, two heavy machineguns, four light machineguns, and two missile bays, making it a very capable air superiority fighter in its own right. Its main role, however, is to deliver new Striker Packs to the GAT-X105 Strike in battle, removing the need to return to the hanger for re-equipping. In addition, the Skygrasper can itself use many of the weapons and equipment of the Striker Packs, such as the Aile Striker's thrusters, the Sword Striker's "Schwert Gewehr" anti-ship sword, and the Launcher Striker's "Agni" beam cannon. The assault ship Archangel is assigned two Skygraspers when it rendezvoused with the 8th Fleet. After the Archangel descended to Earth, mobile armor ace Mu La Flaga begins piloting Skygrasper Unit 1, as his TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero is incapable of atmospheric flight. Mu favors mounting the Launcher Striker on his Skygrasper, for its superior firepower. Skygrasper Unit 2 is initially piloted by Cagalli Yula Athha, and later by Tolle Koenig. As the Launcher Striker is usually taken by Skygrasper Unit 1 and the Aile Striker by the GAT-X105 Strike, Unit 2 is typically equipped with the Sword Striker by default. Perhaps because of this, Unit 2 earned a reputation as an unlucky craft; it is shot down or forced into an emergency landing every time it is deployed but once. While Cagalli came out of these crashes unharmed, Tolle is killed when GAT-X303 Aegis pilot Athrun Zala throws his shield into Unit 2's cockpit. It is unknown how many other Skygrasper units were built, but at least one is owned and operated by freelance mercenary Kaite Madigan. The Archangel acquired at least a single Skygrasper unit, which Neo Lorrnoke used to defend the Archangel at the Second Battle of Orb in C.E. 74. Later, the space-use FXet-565 Cosmograsper variant is created for use in support of the mass-produced GAT-01A1 105 Dagger. It is largely identical to the Skygrasper, aside from using rocket thrusters instead of jet engines and replacing the missile bays with Gatling guns. Specifications FX-550 Skygrasper Unit type: support fighter for use with GAT-X105 Strike Gundam Armament: beam cannon x1, 76mm machinegun x2, 20mm machinegun x4, missile launch bay x2 Optional armament: 57mm high-energy beam rifle x1 (Aile Skygrasper); "Schwert Gewehr" 15.78 meter anti-ship sword x1, "Panzer Eisen" rocket anchor x1 (Sword Skygrasper); "Agni" 320mm hyper impulse beam cannon x1, 120mm anti-ship vulcan gun x1, 350mm gun launcher x2 (Launcher Skygrasper) Pilot: Mu La Flaga, Cagalli Yula Athha, Tolle Koenig, Kaite Madigan, Neo Lorrnoke FX-550+P204QX Lightning Grasper Designer: Kimitoshi Yamane (Skygrasper), Yoshihiko Machida (Lightning Striker pack) Unit type: support fighter for use with GAT-X105 Strike Gundam Armament: machine gun x 4, medium cannon x 2, large cannon x 1, missile launcher x 1, Type 70-31 electromagnetic cannon x 1 FX-550 Skygrasper G-Flight Unit type: atmospheric support fighter Armament: machine gun x 4, machine cannon x 2, beam cannon x 1, missile launcher x 2 Pilot: Kaite Madigan FXet-565 Cosmograsper Unit type: space-use support fighter for use with GAT-01A1 105 Dagger Armament: beam cannon x1, 76mm machinegun x2, 20mm machinegun x4, Gatling gun x2 Optional armament: 57mm high-energy beam rifle x1 (Aile Striker); "Schwert Gewehr" 15.78 meter anti-ship sword x1, "Panzer Eisen" rocket anchor x1 (Sword Striker); "Agni" 320mm hyper impulse beam cannon x1, 120mm anti-ship vulcan gun x1, 350mm gun launcher x2 (Launcher Striker)